Who among us believes in weather forecasts? Probably only those who can consider themselves superstitious at all. Here, winter, for example, always comes unexpectedly, and drivers begin to scratch their heads and feverishly figure out where to get winter tires how to revive a dead battery and what to do to defrost the washer reservoir, which was bound by shameless ice.
Epiphany frosts are crackling on the street, winter, like a lady who has drunk well, allows herself almost everything, fur coats begin to walk their mistresses, and in the refrigerators of Russians it becomes warmer than outside the window. This weather is made for warm blankets, mugs of hot tea and melodramatic comedies with the family. But, alas, winter is cunning and sometimes forces you to solve rather complex puzzles.
Numb washer
Even experienced driver can wake up in the morning and find that the thermometers have brazenly dropped below zero. The car owner begins to mentally go over in his head whether he has done everything so that the frosts do not affect the well-being of his “steel horse”. And then disappointment comes - there is water left in the washer reservoir, and the recently purchased "anti-freeze" is still on the shelf in the garage. And if it's minus outside, it means that the fluid in the washer reservoir is frozen. No options.
The image of a trickle of liquid on the lid of the tank in the cold looks like a mockery
Photo wiki.blamper.ru
They say that the problems that pile on a person are an opportunity to embark on the path of self-development. Nonsense. But only one thing is clear, that sometimes it is better not to solve problems, but to negotiate with him. So we suggest that you “negotiate” with the cold-blooded washer reservoir of your car. There are only two options: either you become part of the solution, or you remain part of the problem.
What not to do
There is a lot of advice on the Web about what to do if the water in the washer freezes. And the first one is to use hot water. Option. But it should be borne in mind that this method will only work if the tank is no more than a third full. Otherwise, you can only aggravate the situation. In addition, in no case should you use boiling water, which can easily deform the liquid container. So do not cut the Gordian knot in haste, because there may be more knots under it.
Stock up on "anti-freeze" in advance
Photo en-auto.livejournal.com
It will also not help to simply start the engine and warm it up, because in most cars the windshield washer reservoir is located not at all under the hood, but under the wing. In order to thaw the ice in this case, you need an engine with a devilish fuse.
What to do if the water in the washer reservoir is frozen
If you are the proud owner of a miracle domestic auto industry, then your VAZ will not let you down, because it is very easy to solve this problem with it. It is enough to remove the tank and warm it in a warm place. With foreign cars, things are completely different. So our guide primarily concerns the owners of foreign-made cars.
There are no problems with VAZ washer tanks
Photo vaz-2106.ru
So the first thing to do is buy a good one. antifreeze liquid, which would have an extreme temperature threshold. Then we warm up the car so that it gives the impression that you do not have a stove, but the most that neither is a fireplace.
Anti-freeze liquid should be heated
Photo autocentre.ua
"Nezamerzayka" should be heated, and then added to the washer reservoir, occupied by ice. As the ice melts, the water will change from solid to liquid and decrease in volume. This means that we need to add anti-freeze fluid. After the operation to save the glass cleaning system, all liquid should be drained from the tank and filled with anti-freeze.
Many drivers are faced with such a problem - as soon as the frost drops below -25 degrees, the fluid in the washer reservoir freezes, the wipers only smear the dirt, and visibility tends to zero. And even the non-freezing liquid bought and filled the day before did not help. Autoinstructors will answer us why this is happening.
Why did the freezer freeze?
First of all, it is worth remembering that the freezing point stated on the label is indicated for a pure liquid, and when diluted, the degree of freezing rises (that is, approaches zero).
The more water you add, the more high temperature anti-freeze crystallizes.
Information about the freezing threshold when diluted with water is usually indicated on the label.
Cause of the problem
The price of non-freezing liquid is such that it asks for dilution, all the more urgent need for it is felt mainly during thaws, when dirty snow flies from under the wheels. A lot of liquid is spent, and the temperature outside the window is not so low, how can you not dilute it here?
But as soon as frost breaks out, the liquid crystallizes, even if the owner prudently increased the concentration. The thing is that the antifreeze was poured into the tank, he did not drive it through the system, so something is splashing in the tank, and ice is in the pipes and nozzles.
If there is a long road ahead, then the problem can be solved by itself, the temperature under the hood will rise and the system will depart.
In some cars, the washer reservoir is located in a ventilated place, so even concentrate can freeze on the road. In this case, one should simply choose the liquid in such a way that there is a margin for the critical temperature. And do not forget to drive it through the entire system after refueling with anti-freeze.
Video footage with the anti-freeze test:
How to deal with it?
What to do if the liquid in the tank has seized thoroughly, and it is unlikely to go away by itself, and the thaw will not come soon? There are several ways to help you similar situation.
The easiest way is to put the car in a warm garage and wait until the liquid leaves itself.
Everything is extremely simple, but, firstly, it takes a lot of time, and secondly, not everyone has a warm box at hand.
If the design of the car allows, you can remove the tank, take it home for defrosting. The most effective way to pour it hot water from all sides.
You can do without removing the tank, just pouring hot water into it. But there are two problems, firstly, the water will cool down very quickly, so the efficiency of the method is quite low, and secondly, the cooled water must be pumped out, which is sometimes very difficult.
Whatever method you manage to defrost the ice, after that you need to pour concentrate or boiling water into the tank and drive it through the system in order to melt the ice in the periphery.
After that, you need to fill in the concentrate (!) And again drive it through the entire system.
If you are trying to save money by diluting anti-freeze, follow simple rule which can save your time. Try to fill the tank no more than halfway, this will allow you to add concentrate if something happens, and the defrosting process will be somewhat simplified.
Good luck with your car and be careful!
The article used an image from the site www.drive2.ru
The temperature does not have to drop to the extreme minus thirty for the anti-freeze fluid in the washer to turn into a block of ice. For this, an unscrupulous seller is enough, and now, the driver is already forced to stop regularly to sprinkle Windshield pure snow from the roadside. It is clear how to prevent such a situation, but what if it has already happened?
What to do when the washer fluid freezes
The situation, in fact, is very typical for winter: we press the washer lever, and we don’t see a jet or a drop of the vaunted anti-freeze. And the brushes meanwhile crawl on a dry windshield. The easiest and most painless way to correct the situation is to drive the car into warm garage underground parking is also suitable. After that, it remains only to wait until the non-freezing liquid has melted throughout the system. Of course, the method is working if you have a lot of time, but it’s not at all suitable for quick defrosting.
Partial freezing
It is worth noting that the liquid often freezes only partially, in the line and nozzles, and in the tank the liquid anti-freeze splashes quite well. This happens because the amount of liquid in the hoses is small, and the alcohol, which does not allow the composition to freeze, quickly evaporates. In any case, it does not remain in the hoses overnight, and the remaining water turns into ice, blocking the access of liquid from the tank. If this is your case, then you can quickly defrost using any lock defroster, in winter it should be in the car of every driver. We take a syringe, inject the defroster through the nozzles into the hoses, and after a couple of minutes you have a working washer.
How to defrost non-freeze
Everything is frozen
The situation worsens if the entire washer reservoir has turned into ice, because not all cars have the ability to quickly dismantle it in order to take it to the nearest warm water tap. As a rule, the tank is hidden deep in the bowels of the muzzle, bumper, under the wing or in another similar place. If you do not have the habit of adding liquid to the tank at night, then the nearest pharmacy can save the situation, where you need to purchase any of the cheapest products containing alcohol (alcohol). Five bubbles of calendula or the infamous hawthorn will be enough. Just keep in mind that in some cases you can easily be denied the sale of this product, suspecting misuse. In this case, a hardware store can be a great alternative, where you can buy denatured 96% alcohol. After the purchase, the matter is small: pour alcohol into the tank and wait until it turns the ice into a real anti-freeze.
Defrost the liquid in the washer reservoir
It's another matter if the tank is full and frozen to the neck, and there are no pharmacies nearby. In this case, the path to the nearest car wash, where we ask the employee to install the hose directly on the neck. Hot water is optional, rather quickly even cold water will wash away the ice. Next, we will definitely sprinkle all the water that remains in the tank on the spot onto the windshield, and then fill it with a really non-freezing high-quality washer fluid purchased from a reliable seller.
Do you think this problem can only affect inexperienced drivers? Not only - frosts come unexpectedly. But there are a number of ways to solve the problem.
What can not be done when the washer freezes?
There are a lot of articles on automotive topics on the Internet, but upon closer acquaintance with them, you understand that they were written by people unfamiliar with the topic.
So, for example, you can find advice - pour boiling water into the tank. Why you can't do this:
- from hot water the plastic tank may be deformed;
- water can overflow and flow straight onto the fuse box or any other important node;
- in the cold, boiling water quickly cools and freezes.
Boiling water can be added only when the tank is less than a third full. Add water to the very top, but carefully, then it will need to be drained.
At the same time, you will merge the non-freezing liquid itself, which is not always cheap.
Sometimes warming up the engine helps, but only if the washer fluid container is fixed not closer to the wing of the car, but directly next to the engine.
The first way is also the easiest. Once the tank is frozen, it means it's cold outside, the roads are relatively clean, the windshield washer is not required. Think maybe you need something in mall with covered (warm) parking? Drive the car there, and in a couple of hours, while you go shopping, the ice in the tank and the windshield washer pipes will melt, all that remains is to pour the liquid onto the glass and pour in the frost-resistant anti-freeze bought in the shopping center.
Also, the car can be driven to a warm wash. To stand longer - not only wash the body-rugs, but also vacuum the interior, clean the trunk. Of course, you have to spend money, but for a good deed - cleanliness. At car washes, as a rule, you can buy anti-freeze and immediately pour it into the washer reservoir.
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If the frost is not strong, and the liquid in the tank is less than half, you can try to cope with the ice with a high-quality non-freeze, heated for fidelity in a water bath. Frozen jets must be cleaned with a needle, and knead the tubes leading to them with your hands.
Does not help? IN domestic cars, some old and budget foreign cars(for example, on the B0 platform) the washer reservoirs are in plain sight, and not hidden in the fenders or bumpers. You can remove the tank by removing the pump and unscrewing a couple of nuts, and take it home to warm it up. Then put in place and pour a normal anti-freeze.
Frozen windshield washer fluid is serious problem. Because of this, it is impossible to clean the glass properly, resulting in poor visibility and increased likelihood of misjudgment. traffic situation. In addition, frozen fluid poses a threat to the washer pump. After reading the article, you will find out why "" freezes and what to do if this happens.
Why does the non-freeze freeze
Good quality windshield washer fluid freezes if the air temperature drops noticeably below the threshold indicated on the label. This usually happens if the frost has exceeded 30 degrees and the car has stood on the street for at least 20 hours. If the liquid contains ethylene glycol, then freezing does not pose any danger.
After 10-15 minutes of engine operation, the temperature inside the engine compartment will rise so much that the liquid will thaw. If there is no ethylene glycol in the composition of the anti-freeze, then the pump impeller is likely to be damaged. Water, which is the main component of windshield washer fluid, expands in size by 9% when it freezes. As a result, the water that is inside the impeller also increases by 9% and can destroy the casing or blades. If you persistently try to turn on the washer in such a situation, then the pump is likely to burn out and short circuit wiring.
How to safely tell if your windshield washer fluid is frozen
First of all, start and warm up the engine to a temperature of 70-80 degrees. Then pull the washer control lever towards you. If within 1 second the liquid from the nozzles has not splashed onto the glass, wait 10-15 minutes. During this time engine compartment warm up and try again. If the liquid does not splash onto the glass again, it means that the anti-freeze has frozen not only, but also in the tank and pump. In this case, the liquid will thaw not earlier than after 2-3 hours. In this case, the engine temperature should not fall below 80 degrees. If the vehicle has regular system windshield washer heating, the warm-up time even with a completely frozen liquid is 30-60 minutes, depending on the air temperature. If the windshield washer operates normally after defrosting, the pump is not damaged. If after defrosting extraneous sounds during operation of the pump, it began to work intermittently or the pressure of liquids from the nozzles decreased, then the impeller and / or the pump motor was damaged. In this case, the pump must be replaced.
How to avoid windshield washer fluid freezing
To prevent freezing of the washer fluid, you must:
- (normally installed on most modern cars Russian and foreign production);
- use an anti-freeze that is suitable for the temperature;
- do not leave the car on the street, but put it in an insulated garage.
The heating system consists of:
Such a system can be bought at car dealerships or assembled independently. If you are well versed in the device and operation of the car, including its electrical part, you can install such a system without problems and difficulties. If you are not so qualified, then do not try to mount the system yourself. After all, as a result of even a small mistake, you can violate temperature regime motor or short onboard network car.
What to do if the antifreeze is frozen
If you find in the morning that the anti-freeze is frozen, and you cannot wait 3-4 hours, do the following:
- Warm up the engine to a temperature of 80 degrees and leave to work.
- Buy a bottle of the cheapest vodka or moonshine. Turn off the engine, remove the filler cap from the windshield washer reservoir and pour vodka or moonshine into it. The alcohol in their composition will dissolve the anti-freeze without deteriorating its properties.
- If you can’t get vodka or moonshine, take 1-2 liters of a good low-temperature anti-freeze and heat it up to 40-60 degrees. To do this, you can put a canister / bottle of liquid in boiling water. Then the heated anti-freeze is poured into the windshield washer reservoir, after turning off the engine.
- Close the hood and start the engine.
- Heat water to a temperature of 30-40 degrees and pour it into the washer nozzles.
- After 1-2 minutes, press the washer control lever. If the pump is not damaged, then a jet of anti-freeze will spray from the nozzles onto the windshield.
What not to do when the windshield wiper fluid freezes
On the Internet, there are often tips like “pour boiling water into the wiper tank”. Those who give such advice do not understand cars at all. If there is not enough boiling water, then he will not be able to dissolve the ice even in the tank. If there is a lot of boiling water, the windshield washer reservoir may be damaged. After all, it is made of low-temperature plastic. Even if you manage to dissolve the liquid in the tank, the pipes and nozzles will still be filled with ice. After 30-40 minutes, the water in the tank will cool down so much that it will begin to become covered with ice. As a result, the problem will become even more serious. Therefore, in no case do not pour boiling water into the washer reservoir.
